Setts



(No Model.)

0. J. VAN DEPOELE, Deod.

G. A. GOFFIN & A. WAHL, Executors. SYSTEM OF DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC OURRENTS.

Patented-Aug. 2, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT CEEIQE.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, CF LYNN; C. A. COFFIN AND ALBERT WAHL, EXECUTORS OF SAID VAN DEPOELE, DECEASED, ASSIGNORS TO THE THOMSON-HOUSTON ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU- SETTS.

SYSTEM OF DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,964, dated August 2, 1892.

Application filed May 20, 1891. Serial No. 393,474. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. VAN DE- POELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Distributing Electrical Currents, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in the distribution of electric currents for the operation of mining and other apparatus.

In my prior applications, Serial No. 388,565, filed April 11, 1891, and Serial No. 382,877, filed February 26, 1891, I have shown, described, and claimed methods of supplying currents for electric mining apparatus; but in both of said applications the apparatus to be supplied is shown and described as being all of the same character, the object being to supply electric currents of the proper character for the apparatus in question. In the present instance, however, the object is to supply currents of such character as will be capable of operating a number of different types of ma chines, and, furthermore, to accomplish this with the use of the smallest possible quantity of copper in the conductors.

It will be understood that in a very great many mining installations the objects of this invention will be of great importance, and, furthermore, that what is hereinafter described will be commercially practical in a great many instances.

An installation embodying the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter fully described, and referred to in the appended claims.

The drawing is a view, partly in diagram and partly in elevation, showing an arrangement of circuits and apparatus embodying my invention.

In said drawing, A is a continuouscurrent dynamo-electric machine, which may be either a generator or a counter-electro-motive-force device supplied with" current from some suitable source.

B is the armature, and C is the commutator. The commutator C is provided with main stationary brushes P and N and also has a pair of moving commutator-brushes b 11 which are arranged to be rotated or oscillated about the said commutator by any desired means-as, for example, in any of the different methods set forth in my prior patents. Conductors 1 2 extend from the moving brushes b b to line conductors 3 at. Rails 5 of a tramway, which are of course to be properly connected at their extremities, are utilized as a third or return conductor, which is connected by wire 0 with the stationary negative com mutator-brush N.

It will be understood that in places where there is no tramway and therefore no railcircuit available for use as a common return a third line conductor will be employed in place thereof. The present arrangement includes the tramway, but for the sake of illustration only, since any other form of apparatus comprising a distinct type of electric motor would present similar electrical conditions and therefore be within the scope of the invention.

D represents a crane or hoist or other working device to the propulsion of which I have applied an alternate-current motor E, which is supplied with current through conductors 7 S, which are tapped into the line conductors 3 4, which receive their current through the moving brushes Z) F represents a reciprocating electro-magnetic engine of the type shown, described, and claimed in my patent, No. 51,786, dated May 5, 189l,and said engine comprises motor-coils G H I, coils G ll being in series with each other and connected by conductors 9 10 with the supply-conductors 4:, which furnish said coils with alternating currents having a defined rise and fall and a frequency depending upon the rapidity of travel of the moving brushes. The center coil 1 is operated by pulsating continuous currents and is connected at one end by conductor 11 with conductor 10, while its other terminal is connected by conductor 12 with the rail-circuit 5, so that, as set forth in my prior patent, the said coil I will receive every other one of the alternating currentsthat is to say, will be supplied with a pulsating intermittent current of constant direction.

J is a motor-car, and K is a trailer connected thereto.

j is a contact device carried by the carJ and engaging the supply-conductor at.

M is a motor upon the car J of the continuous-current type, one terminal of which is connected to the contactj and its other terminal through'the running-gear of the car through the return-conductor 5'. The motor M will therefore be supplied with currents in a manner similar to the coil I in the engine Fthat is to say, said motor will receive every other one of the alternating-current impulses sent to the circuit 3 4: through the moving brushes b b I find that a continuous-current in otorcan be operated perfectly wellunder these conditions and with no detrimental results, since the mass of iron ordinarily employed in said motors is so great that the magnetism will not drop too far between impulses, and, in short, I am enabled to operate a continuous-current motor with intermittent pulsatin g currents with great success. It should be observed, however, that it is desirable in any machine operated by other than an absolutely-steady current to laminate or subdivide the iron portions thereof, and the present is no exception to this rule. The motorE is an alternating-current motor of any known type, comprising, of course, divided iron throughout.

Other apparatus might be operated by motors of the types herein set forth; but it is not deemed necessary to further illustrate the invention, since three distinct forms of motor are herein shown, all supplied from a single sourceviz, the machine A. Furthermore, in the installation illustrated but two copper conductors are carried to any distance from the machine, the third wire being the rails of a tramway, thus presenting a simple, economical, and extremely useful system of distributing currents to mines or similar places where various types of electrical apparatus are to be operated and where it is of course desirable to operate them all from one circuit if it can be done.

Various minor changes may be made in the details of the hereinbefore-described system without departing from the spirit or nature of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. A system of electrical distribution comprising a source of current of the continuous type, means located at the source for dividing the current into pulsating currents of continuous direction and pulsating currents of alternating direction, circuit-conductors extending from said source, and electric motor translating devices adapted to be operated by currents of different character in circuit with and supplied with currents suitable to each directly from the source through part or all of the said conductors.

2. A system of electrical distribution comprising a source of current of the continuous type, means located at the source for dividing the current into pulsating currents of continuous direction and pulsating currents of alterating direction, comprising one stationary and two moving com m utator-brushes upon the commutator thereof, circuit-conductors extending from said brushes, and electricmotor translating devices adapted to be operated by currents of different character in circuit with and supplied with currents suitable to each directly from the source through part or all of the said conductors.

3. A system of electrical distribution comprising a source of current of the continuous type, means for changing the continuous current into currents of different character, comprising stationary and moving commutatorbrushes upon the commutator thereof, circuit-conductors extending from said brushes, and alternating-current, continuous-current, and combined-current translating devices in circuit with said conductors, substantially as described.

4. A system of distributing electrical currents, which comprises an electro-dynamic machine of the continuous-current type, stationary and moving brushes upon the commutator thereof, and Working circuits extending from said brushes, and supplied, respectively, with pulsating currents of alternating and continuous direction, and translating devices of the continuous, alternating, and combined current types in circuit with and operated by the several conductors,substantially as described.

5. A system of distributing electrical currents, which comprises a continuous-current electro-dynamic machine, stationary brushes upon the commutator thereof, an auxiliary set of commutator-brushes adapted to be moved upon said commutator toward and away from the stationary brushes, line conductors connected with and supplied by the moving brushes with alternating currentshaving a defined rise and fall, and athird conductor connected with one of the stationary brushes, alternating current-translating devices in circuit between the alternate-current conductors, continuous-current devices in circuit between the third conductor and one of the alternating conductors, and translating devices adapted to be energized by both alternating and direct currents placed in circuit with both sets of conductors, substantially as described.

6. A system of electrical distribution comprising a source of continuous current, Stationarybrushes upon the commutator thereof, moving brushes also upon said commutator, and a working circuit extending from said moving brushes and supplied thereby with alternating currents having a defined rise and in circuit with the alternate-current conductors, and a translating device or devices of the combined-current type in circuit with all of the conductors, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. GIBBONEY, FRANKLAND JANNUS. 

